Cai Yun officially retired from badminton

Cai Yun, 36, formally confirmed his retirement from competitive badminton on his personal Weibo (similar to Facebook and Twitter in China) yesterday.

Cai, who was born in 1980, joined the Chinese national badminton team in 1999. Throughout his 19 years spent at the China national team, Cai Yun managed to blossom into a men's doubles superstar together with Fu Haifeng.

Cai Yun is right handed while Fu Haifeng is left handed. Cai is also a very speedy player and reads the game very well at the front of the court; while Fu is a power smasher. Together, they were able to play solid defense as left and right handed pair and became one of the most formidable men's doubles pairings in the world.
Together, they have won four World titles (2006, 2009, 2010, and 2011), an Olympic gold medal (2008), two All-England titles (2005, 2009), led China to five straight Thomas Cup title since 2004, and 5 Sudirman Cup titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013).
However, their 12-year partnership came to an end on March 2014 after they had experienced a series of subpar performances post London Olympics.
Cai was then assigned to partner Lu Kai, in which they won the 2014 Singapore Open and the 2015 Swiss Open.
"My 19 years careers in the national team has finally come to an end. I still remember the excitement of the first day I took the train and arrived in Beijing on April 28, 1999. I feel very calm right now, and I am looking forward to the new challenges ahead of me," wrote Cai Yun on his Weibo.
Cai will start his new career as a commentator, and hopefully could continue to promote the sport of badminton through his new role.

Rio 2016 Olympics - Lee Chong Wei avoids Chen Long until final

After claiming the sixth Indonesia Open title of his career by downing Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 17-21, 21-19, 21-17 at the Indonesia Open 3 weeks ago, badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei cemented his status as the world’s top ranked men’s badminton player on Thursday.

In the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, the Malaysian star remained No. 1 and the rest of the top 10 holds steady after last week's rankings.

After regaining the World No. 1 spot, Lee was guaranteed that he would not have to face World No. 2 Chen Long until the men's singles final at the Rio Olympics, should they both make it.
Therefore, there's a 50-50 chance of either Lee Chong Wei or Chen Long will face two time Olympic champion Lin Dan before the final.
22-year-old Denmark player Viktor Axelsen will make his Olympic debut as the No. 4 seed while another Denmark player Jan Jorgensen would be the No. 5 seed in Rio.
There was no change in the top 10 women's singles rankings over the past week, with Carolina Marin held on to the top spot with 83,680 points, followed by Wang Yihan, Li Xuerui, Ratchanok Intanon, and Nozomi Okuhara
Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong remained the clear men's doubles World No. 1 with 94,079 points. World No. 2 Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan were 21,239 points behind, followed by Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang. China's Zhang Nan/Fu Haifeng marginally edging Chai Biao/Hong Wei to claim the fourth spot.
In women's doubles, Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi, Tang Yuanting/Yu Yang, Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei, Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/Greysia Polii and Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan rounded out the top five.
There was no movement at the top 5 of the mixed rankings as well, with Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei continued their domination at World No. 1, Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na retained the second position, while Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir, Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen, Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto were in No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 spots.

Lee Chong Wei withdraws from Taiwan Open to prepare for Rio

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei has decided to withdraw from the Taiwan Open on Tuesday. The Taiwan Open which will be held from June 28 to July 3 will be Lee's last tournament before the Rio Olympics.

Lee Chong Wei strained a muscle in his left hip before the Indonesia Open final and later pulled out of the Australian Open. After a careful assessment and to avoid aggravating the injury, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have agreed to pull him out of the Taiwan Open.

"We pulled him out because we’re not completely sure if he’s ready to play after his injury in Australia," said BAM's technical director Morten Frost.
"He is showing good progress with our training programme. The nice and relaxed atmosphere in our training facility also help Chong Wei in his mental preparation," added Frost.
"All our players have been working very hard. We are currently deciding on the sparring partners for the Olympics. We have requested more entry passes for the sparring partners from the Olympic Council of Malaysia because we currently only have two day passes for them," said Frost.
After Lee's withdrawal, the No. 1 seed Chen Long of China has become the overwhelming favorite at Taiwan Open.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin will lead the Malaysia's challenge in the men's singles event together with Goh Soon Huat, Chong Wei Feng, Liew Daren, Goh Giap Chin, Tan Chun Seang and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif.
World No. 12 Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong, Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi and Hoon Thien How/Teo Kok Siang will participate in the men's doubles category; while Tee Jing Yi and Ho Yen Mei will represent Malaysia in women's singles; Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying and Tan Kian-Meng/Lai Pei Jing in mixed doubles and Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei, Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean are set to play in women's doubles.

Lee Chong Wei: Lin Dan remains the biggest threat in Rio Olympics

Despite being knocked out by Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the second round of Indonesia Open two weeks ago, Lin Dan remains the biggest enemy for World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei in Rio

Lin Dan who is regarded as the greatest badminton player of all time, and who twice denied Lee the men's single's gold medal at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, could be very tough to beat in Rio.

"Both Lin Dan and Chen Long pose serious threats to me in Rio, but at major tournaments, Lin Dan is a bigger threat to me than Chen Long," said Lee.
Lee also stressed that would not underestimate both Lin Dan and Chen Long even though both of them had not been doing well in the recent tournaments.
"They may have lost in Premier Super Series tournaments but they can rise to the occasion if they want to, especially in major tournaments."
"Since the Olympics happen once every four years, it is a combination of the mental game and physical strength that gets the players to the podium."
"Having said that, players such as Jan O Jorgensen and Viktor Axelsen from Denmark, Srikanth Kidambi (India), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia) and others from Europe, Asia and Hong Kong are all very tough opponents as well."
"I will spend my next two months to strengthen my mental and physical toughness."
Although Lee Chong Wei was seeded second in the upcoming Yonex Chinese Taipei Open that will be held from June 28 to July 3, Technical director of Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Morten Frost Hansen told reporters that they haven't decided whether they'll send Lee to the tournament.
Even if he withdraws from the Taiwan Open, Lee Chong Wei would remain the World No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings until the Olympics.

Carsten Mogensen & Mathias Boe are going to Olympics!

After suffering a ruptured aortic aneurysms in his brain, and went through a brain surgery during the European Team Championship in Russia in February, no one ever thought Carsten Mogensen would able to come back and compete at the highest level of badminton.

Defying all odds, four months after his life threatening illness, Mogensen making the impossible, possible by reaching the Indonesia Open men's doubles second round two weeks ago together with his men's doubles partner Mathias Boe. But, their Olympic hopes were still in doubt because Badminton Association of Denmark (BAD) were still deciding whether to send World No. 9 Carsten Mogensen/Mathias Boe or World No. 8 Mads Pieler Kolding/Mads Conrad-Pedersen to compete in the Rio men's doubles event.

Their worries of the Olympic selection have finally cleared up on Tuesday when Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) confirmed that Mogensen/Boe have been selected as the only Danish men's pair in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"It has obviously been a tough few months for me, but I have received strong support from coaches, my family and many more. I am extremely pleased and proud of my current condition," said Mogensen in a statement.
"After the surgery, the first thing I told my family was I would be back. I will decide when I would retire from badminton, and it wasn't the right time yet. Mathias and I were not satisfied with where we were, and we would like to win more medals," added Mogensen.
"Now we are ready to give everything we have in our preparation for the Olympics," said Carsten Mogensen.
BAD explained the reason why they have taken so long before reaching the decision to send Carsten Mogensen/Mathias Boe to Olympic was because they wanted to make sure Mogensen could cope with the highest level of competition after such a serious illness.
"We saw Mogensen was able to deliver at a very high performance level in Jakarta, and we believed he and Mathias Boe would be strong medal contenders at the Olympics. Mogensen also was able to handle all kinds of situations very well," said Finn Trærup, Director of Elite Sport at Badminton Association of Denmark.

Ko Sung-hyun/Kim Ha-na are eyeing Olympic gold

At the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, the world No. 1-ranked men's badminton tandem of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong are considered the biggest medal hope for South Korea. But they are not the only pair that the country is counting on for a medal.Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na are ranked No. 2 in the mixed doubles. They have been gearing up for the Rio Games well, winning five tournaments last year and also triumphing at the German Open in March and the Singapore Open in April. The two finished runners-up at the Indonesia Open last week, but in the semifinals they beat the top-ranked Chinese pair of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei.

Our confidence level is high after we collected good results in recent tournaments," Ko said on Thursday at the National Training Center in Seoul. "If we can remedy our shortcomings, I think we will also get a good result at the Rio Games."
When asked about what they need to improve, Ko and Kim said they will first reduce silly mistakes. Both players also admitted that they had ups-and-downs in their performance, but will try to play a steadier game whomever they face, whether they are Chinese or Indonesian.
"I personally made too many mistakes with net shots," Kim said. "We will enhance our concentration during matches."
South Korean badminton has produced two Olympic gold medals in mixed doubles. At the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games Kim Dong-moon and Gil Young-ah topped the podium, and 12 years later in Beijing Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung repeated the feat.
Ko and Kim, who have been playing together since 2013, said they are aware of the history and will not damage the legacy. South Korean head coach Lee Deuk-choon had a conservative prediction on the mixed double tandem, but he had no doubt that they will grab a medal in Brazil.
"For the mixed double, we are looking for them to reach the final," Lee said. "But once they are in the final, we will obviously look for the gold."
For the Rio Games, South Korea will send two players each in the men and women's singles, as well as two pairs each in the doubles. The only event in which South Korea doesn't have two representatives is the mixed doubles.
While the two South Korean teams in the men's doubles said that they want to face each other in the final, Ko and Kim will never face their compatriots at the Olympics. However, being the only South Korean representative doesn't bother them.
"I don't think it gives us pressure," Kim said. "We just have to focus on our own performance."
Both Ko and Kim will have their second Olympic appearance in August. And they won't just be looking for the gold medal; they will also be trying to wash away painful memories from their past.
At the 2012 London Games, Ko partnered with Yoo in the men's doubles, but they were eliminated in the group stage. Since then, Ko has been playing with Shin Baek-cheol in the men's doubles to repair his honor, but the pair failed to grab a ticket to Rio despite the No. 6 rankings. While Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeong-seong secured their Olympic berth easily as the world No. 1, another Olympic spot went to Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang, who are now the No. 3-ranked tandem.

Ko, the second-oldest player on the South Korean badminton squad at 29, said he is ready to put all of his efforts into what could be his final Olympics.
"Four years ago I failed to show all my talents," he said. "It's sad that Shin is not going to the Rio Games with me, but I will pick up the slack for him and do my best."
Kim's story is more dramatic than Ko's. The 26-year-old was disqualified from her maiden Summer Games four years ago after she was involved in a so-called "play-to-lose" scandal that also kicked out Chinese and Indonesian teams from the London Games.
In 2012, Kim played with Jung Kyung-eun in the women's double. Following their coach's orders, they were attempting to lose their round-robin matches on purpose in a bid to secure favorable draws in the quarterfinals. Both players and another women's doubles team of Kim Min-jung and Ha Jung-eun were later banned from competing by the Korean Olympic Committee until 2013.
Kim said that she has grown up after going through the scandal and promised that match-throwing will never happen again.
"The scar of the scandal still remains in my heart," she said. "In Rio, I want to show all my skills, which I couldn't do four years ago."
With the Rio Games less than 50 days away, Ko and Kim are now trying to maintain their good pace. Ko said he feels a little pain on his lower back, but believes he will fully recover soon. Kim, meanwhile, said she is healthy, but is working on her stamina.
"When my power and Ha-na's delicate plays mingle well, I think we can beat any team in the world," Ko said

Hendra Setiawan eyeing a second gold medal at 2016 Rio Olympics

Hendra Setiawan who partnered Markis Kido to win men's doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic, is now aiming for his second men's doubles Olympic gold but this time he will be partnering with Mohammad Ahsan.

Setiawan and Kido won their first Olympic gold medal after beating Chinese pair Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng 12-21, 21-11, 21-16 in the men’s doubles final at Beijing Olympic. However, their performance started to go downhill after the 2008 Olympics. They have missed out on qualifying as Indonesia's second pair at the 2012 London Olympics by merely 71.6903 points after the pair didn't participate in Badminton Asia Championship (from April 17 to April 22) and India Open Super Series 2012 (from April 24 to April 29) due to Markis Kido decided to stay with his wife when their baby was born on 21 April 2012.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia or PBSI decided to split Setiawan/Kido up after the 2012 Olympics, and paired Hendra Setiawan with Mohammad Ahsan in September 2012.
"I definitely want to win again. Hopefully this year I can win the Olympic gold medal with Ahsan. Currently we are focusing on the preparation for the Olympic," said Setiawan.
"We are strengthening our technique, physical and mental toughness. Mental strength is very important especially in big tournament such as the Olympics," added Setiawan.
Nevertheless, Setiawan was reluctant to point out who would be their biggest opponents in Rio.
"Any pairs in Olympics could be tough for us, because nowadays a lot of lower ranked pairs are capable of beating the higher ranked pairs," said Setiawan.
Indonesia have won at least a gold medal in the badminton events since 1992. But the tradition was discontinued in the London game.

PBSI to improve players' fitness ahead of Rio Olympics

The Badminton Association of Indonesia or PBSI has set up training programs targeting players whose fitness performances fall below expectations ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Reports from our coaches show that some of our athletes are struggling with fitness problems, we are trying to strengthen their overall stamina and durability," said Head of Development and Performance for Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), Rexy Mainaky."We have held a special meeting with our physical trainers to develop some training routine for our players in preparation for the Olympics," added Mainaky.
Even though the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is less than two months away, Mainaky expressed high confidence for his players.
"I think we have enough time. Together with the training camp, we should be able to improve the physical condition of our players," said Mainaky.
"The Olympics could be very challenging. Physical fitness becomes extremely important especially when the players have to play at their maximum capacities in all matches," explained Mainaky who won the 1996 Atlanta Olympics men's doubles gold medal with Ricky Subagja.

Hans-Kristian Vittinghus wins Australian Open

Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus who led Denmark to become the first European nation to win the Thomas Cup in last month’s Thomas Cup final in Kunshan, China, won his first ever Super Series tournament after overcoming Korea's Jeon Hyeok Jin in a 3-set tussle in the Australian Badminton Open men's singles final on Sunday in Sydney

The unseeded Vittinghus beat South Korean Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-16, 19-21, 21-11 in 70 minutes to lift the Australian Open title. His triumph in Sydney also made him the first Danish men’s singles player to win a Superseries title in two years, after Jan Jorgensen won the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier in June 2014.

Vittinghus dropped to his knees on winning the match point after coming up short winning the 2014 Superseries Masters final to China’s Chen Long in Dubai.

Chen, the world No 2, was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open by Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting on Friday. Vittinghus took home a US$41,000 check as the winner.
After winning the India Open Super Series earlier this year, Indonesia's men's doubles No. 7 seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo clinched the Australian Open on Sunday by defeating compatriots Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi. It is worth noting that Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo also beat the same opponents Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi in the India Open final.
"We played calmly and tried to enjoy the match as much as possible. On the other hand, we noticed Angga/Ricky were a little nervous, and we took great advantage on that," said Gideon.
Angga/Ricky accepted the defeat and were hoping to play better in their upcoming tournaments.
"They played better than us today, we'll need to practice harder and keep improving," said Ricky.
Indonesia took home only the men's doubles title after their women's doubles pair Greysia Polii / Nitya Maheswari Krishinda lost to China's Bao Yixin/Chen Qingchen in the final.

Saina Nehwal beats Sun Yu to win Australian Open

India's badminton star Saina Nehwal shrugged off dropping the first set against World No. 12 Sun Yu of China on Sunday before hitting back to win 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 to claim her second Australian Open title in Sydney.

In the submit final clash that lasted an hour and 11 minutes, the 26-year-old Nehwal got off to a shaky start when her Chinese opponent was playing with a fast-paced game added to her strong defence to hunt for shuttlecocks in every corners of the court, Nehwal eventually lost the first set 11-21.

After changing sides, the London Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal, who had beaten two world champions — Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon (2013) and China’s Yihan Wang (2011) in the quarterfinals and semifinals en route to the final, regrouped quickly and stormed back to seal the second set 21-14 after Sun hit the net at her last shot.
Nehwal and Sun went neck and neck in the decider, Sun saved two points to narrow the gap with 19-20. However, Nehwal threw her arms in the air for celebration when Sun's return found the net.
Nehwal has previously won the Australian Open in 2014. Nevertheless, the Indian shuttler has been struggling with form since winning her 2015 Indian Open Superseries title. The Australian Open title came just in time as a huge confidence boost for her ahead of the Rio Olympics.
In an all-Chinese mixed doubles final, China's No. 8 seeds Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong defeated Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen 21-18, 21-14 to lift the title.
Women's doubles No. 2 seeds Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii failed to clinch the Australian Open title after they were shocked by unseeded Chinese pair Chen QingChen and Bao Yixin 21-13, 17-21.

The inspirational story of Ratchanok Intanon

As the humble daughter of factory workers at a Bangkok sweet-maker, badminton was a ticket out of poverty for Ratchanok Intanon, who hopes winning gold at the Rio Olympics might inspire more Thai girls to chase their dreams.The 21-year-old will be among Thailand's main medal hopes in Brazil and one of the chief threats to China's chances of defending their astonishing sweep of all five badminton titles at the London Games.

Ratchanok is spurred by a painful memory of London, where, as a teenage sensation set to rock the Chinese establishment, she choked in a quarter-final when poised to defeat the tournament second seed, Wang Xin.

"Actually I think I had a chance to win or (be) close to the medals," Ratchanok told Reuters ruefully in an interview in Sydney on Tuesday.
"But I think I lost with the experience, because that time I was still young and she was also good, world class.
"So maybe... mentally she was better than me.
"That time, I didn't feel good after losing. I felt like I didn't want to train again. I felt I didn't want to play badminton again.
"But I had support. My family, who love me, just said that it's okay, you still have time. Just learn more."
Ratchanok did not wallow for too long.
The following year, she became badminton's youngest world champion at the age of 18 when she stunned Olympic champion Li Xuerui in the final of her home tournament in Guangzhou.
Ratchanok may face Li this week at the Australian Badminton Open, the last major meeting before the Olympic tournament starts Aug. 11.
Confident of Success
Ratchanok has had injury troubles and dips in form since her world title but has been in ominous condition in recent months, capturing three consecutive Superseries tournaments to rise to the world number one ranking in April.
She has since conceded it to Spain's two-time world champion Carolina Marin but her brief spell at the top sent Thailand into a frenzy.
Rather than shy away from the hype, Ratchanok has embraced the expectation.
"I hope that I can get the gold medal for Thailand," said Ratchanok, standing on a terrace at her hotel adjacent to Olympic stadiums built for the 2000 Sydney Games.
"It's not too difficult for me and I believe that I can do it."
Ratchanok had an unusual route into badminton, being handed a racquet at the age of six and told to go play outside the factory where her parents worked making sweet Thai desserts.
Her tournament winnings and endorsements have been enough to help her parents start their own food business, while her achievements have won her friends in high places.
After becoming Thailand's first world number one, Ratchanok played a game with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha during a visit to government house.
During the meeting she asked him if her Chinese coach's application to become a Thai citizen could be expedited, local media reported.
Xie Zhuhua, who once battled China's current head coach Li Yongbo during competition in the 1990s, has coached Ratchanok since her junior days and is seen as key to her ability to unlock the games of her Chinese rivals.
"He just takes care of me like I'm his daughter, because he also doesn't have (one)," Ratchanok said of their special relationship.
"He loves me like a daughter and takes care of me. For me, he's like a second father, so I just do my best."
(Editing by John O'Brien)

Lee Chong Wei returns to World No. 1 after winning Indonesia Open

Malaysia's badminton maestro and World No. 2 Lee Chong Wei brushed off tough challenge from World No. 5 Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark to win his sixth Indonesia Open title on Sunday.Jorgensen was off to a solid start in the first set and quickly surged ahead with 6-2. Although Lee came back from 9-14 to level the score at 14-14, the Dane managed to hold off a late charge from Lee to claim the first set 21-17.

Both players were locked in a tight battle in the second set when the Dane appeared to be heading for victory as he was leading 19-17 in the second set.

Adding some late drama in this clash, the world number two Lee however did not give up the fight and broke back to tie the score at 19-19. Lee then produced a dazzling show to reel off next 2 points to force a decider

The third set was completely one-sided, with Lee Chong Wei showing his greatness by overwhelming Jorgensen with powerful smashes and lighting fast shots to end the third set with 21-17 and to clinch his 6th Indonesia Open title.

Lee was happy with the win, but he also admitted he did not play well in the first set.

"I was preparing to lose the match when I was trailing 17-19 in the second set," said Lee.
Meanwhile, Jorgensen was clearly disappointed for the defeat.

"I got off to a very strong start, however, I squandered my lead at the end of second set, and I am very disappointed," said Jorgensen.

"I've experienced hip problem for the last two months, Lee was very strong and I was exhausted after the semifinals match," added Jorgensen.
"Nevertheless, the match gave me confidence before the Olympics. It proved I could still be a dangerous player," said Jorgensen.
Lee who had also won in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, picked up $67,500 U.S. dollars for the title on Sunday. The victory also allowed Lee Chong Wei to tie the record set by two other Indonesian legends Taufik Hidayat (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006) and Ardy Wiranata (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997), who had also won the titles six times.
After earning 11,000 points at the Indonesia Open, Lee will surpass China’s Chen Long as the new world No. 1 in next week's Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.
In men’s doubles final, Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong were pushed all the way by Chinese fifth seeds Chai Biao and Hong before winning the title with 13-21, 21-13, 21-16.Our opponents were playing with attacking style today, and the wind also affected our games. Thanks for strong support from the crowd, we were able to restore our performance to finally win the title," said Lee Yong Dae.

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Carsten Mogensen achieves mission impossible - he's made a comeback

Jakarta: Despite undergoing brain surgery to threat a life threatening illness 3 months ago, Carsten Mogensen has made a comeback many deemed impossible.

In his men's doubles opener against the World No. 10 Chinese pair Li Junhui / Liu Yuchen on Wednesday, Carsten Mogensen and his partner Mathias Boe roared past the Chinese pair 21-16, 22-20 in 38 minutes to reach the Indonesia Open second round.

"We just played our best in the match. Carsten's recovery process has been outstanding. He is a mentally tough player. To be able to play at Indonesia Open really meant a lot to us. It's even more extraordinary that we were able to finish the game with a victory, “said Boe.
Boe also said the Chinese pair was playing with a very fast pace game, there were especially fast at the net.
"It's definitely not easy to play against opponents that have good defence and have a lot of net shots. We were grateful that Badminton Association of Denmark (BAD) didn't give us too much pressure, but we will strive to become one of the best men's doubles pair in the world again," added Boe.
Mogensen and Boe will play Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda of Japan on Thursday. If the can beat the Japanese pair, they will face either compatriots Mads Conrad-Petersen/Mads Pieler Kolding or No. 2 seeds Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia in the quarter-finals.
BAD will decide whether to send Carsten Mogensen/Mathias Boe or Mads Conrad-Petersen/Mads Pieler Kolding to the Rio Olympics in mid-June. Therefore, a good showing in Indonesia Open would be critical determinant on BAD's decision making process.

Lee Chong Wei & Lin Dan advance into Indonesian Open second round

Malaysia's badminton ace, Datuk Lee Chong Wei only took 35 minutes to get past the first round of the Indonesian Open at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta today.Chong Wei did not face any problem beating Indian player, Sameer Verna in straight sets 21-11 and 21-13 to set a meeting with Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong in the next round.

Chong Wei, who has won the championship five times, has a chance of securing the world number one ranking if he wins this time.

The opportunity opened up for Chong Wei when the current world number one Chen Long withdrew in the first round to give a walkover to Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia .
So far, Chong Wei has collected 88,953 points, 3,241 points behind Chen Long. The champion here will get 11,000 points.
However, the opportunity is still difficult as his traditional nemesis, Lin Dan of China also got through the first round by beating national singles player Zulfadli Zulkifli in rubber sets, 16-2, 21-18 and 21-16.
Another Malaysian singles player Iskandar Zulkarnain failed to get past the first round after falling to Marc Zwiebler of Germany 21-10 and 21-19.
For the men's doubles, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong beat host pair, Berry Angriawan/Rian Agung Saputro 21-17, 10-21 and 21-15.
Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong received a free win when fourth seeded pair of the championship, Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang of South Korea, withdrew.
Also advancing to the next round were Malaysia's women's doubles pair Vivian Hoo/Woon Khe Wei who beat host pair Della Destiara Haris/Rosyita Eka Putri Sari in straight sets, 21-19 and 21-14.

Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian & Wang Yihan's Olympic bid up in air

With at least five players who have made top 16, the China badminton team officials will finalise their two choices for the women’s singles on July 18
Top women’s badminton players from China, including defending singles champion Li Xuerui, will be forced to wait until the last moment before finding out whether they will go to the Rio Olympic Games

China had five women’s singles players in the world’s top 16 when the one-year qualification period closed this month, but countries are only permitted to send two competitors.

Li, along with Wang Yihan, the losing finalist in London four years ago, Wang Shixian, Sun Yu and He Bingjiao are all possible picks after reaching the world’s top 16.
Coach Chen Jin said yesterday selectors had to consider all the possible factors before making a decision on who goes.
"The deadline for submitting the two names is July 18 and we will definitely wait until that last month before making a decision," said the coach.
"Many people say Li and the two Wangs have the best chance of going and this is true but you cannot deny the opportunity of Sun and He as they have defeated the trio before.
"We will leave immediately for the Indonesia Open and other opens on the tour. We will have to consider all the international results of the players until July, especially their records against our major rivals.
"We are facing a more difficult situation than in London four years ago. On that occasion, we were able to send three singles players to the Games but it’s only two this time, meaning our winning chance has been reduced by 50 per cent.
"Also, we only had one or two major rivals in London but in Rio, we will face 10 to 16 major rivals."
Wang Yihan, currently ranked third in the world, was not surprised by the tough internal competition.
"This is normal in team China and we always have to face strong competition from our teammates," she said.
"It’s the dream of any player to go to the Olympics, especially to make a second appearance in a row if I get selected, but life still has to go on if I am not. Someone will be disappointed."
Li agreed the mainland players were facing tough competition among themselves.
"Everyone wants to go, but only two will be selected," said the 25-year-old defending champion, who has suffered with injury since snatching the gold medal in London.

"I was like a white paper before going to London and now I am a much more mature player, and know more about the Games but the chance of winning remains difficult."
World number one Carolina Marin of Spain, Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, Sania Nehwal of India and Sung Jihyun of South Korea, are all set to challenge the mainlanders in Rio.

Lee Chong Wei appointed Purple League ambassador

Malaysia's badminton ace Datuk Lee Chong Wei has been appointed as an ambassador for the Purple League Badminton Tournament this season.

Executive Officer of Purple League (M) Sdn Bhd Datuk Jack Koh said, the appointment of the world number two shuttler was made based on his smashing track record.
He noted that through the appointment, the Penangite would be able to offer his invaluable insight and experience to nurture young hopefuls and elevate the standard of play by producing a bigger pool of young players for the country.
"We feel the collaboration between both parties will be enable us to work closely on the development side besides capitalising his (Chong Wei) image as a prominent badminton figure in the country," he told a press conference, here today.
Speaking of the 2016/17 Purple League Tournament, Koh said competing teams would still remain at eight but revealed that the Junior Purple League would see a second division introduced this year to nurture more talented youngsters.
"Currently, most of the competing clubs are sourcing for players from states rather than nurturing their own players and the introduction of the second division Junior Purple League will see and more new club coming onboard," Koh added.
Chong Wei, on the other hand, praised the effort by the organiser to continue the tournament which is aimed to unearth more talented young shuttlers in the country.
"I'm myself played in this league and also other leagues in Indonesia and China, so I think this league is among the best way for us to unearth more talented players.
"At the same time, the inclusion of a few top 10 players in the Purple League for the past two seasons will enable a few national players like Iskandar Zulkarnain to gauge their performance," said the two-time Olympic Games silver medallist.
For the record, the Muar Badminton Club (Muar BC) has won back-to-back titles in the tournament (2014/15 and 2015/16).
The Purple League Badminton Tournament was introduced in 2013 by Koh, which among others was aimed to create a brand new platform in support of the country's badminton scene while raising the standard of the sports and create future champions.

PBSI turn focus to Olympics after Thomas-Uber disappointments

After emerging as the runners-up in Thomas Cup Finals, and losing to Korea in the Uber Cup quarter-finals, the Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) said their men's and women's team have set their sights on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

"We've been preparing for Rio Olympics for a while, but we have temporarily given our attention to Thomas Cup and Uber Cup. Now that the tournament is over, it's time to focus on the Olympics," said Chairman of PBSI Central Executive Board Gita Wirjawan at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang on Monday.

"A number of our shuttlers will also participate in the Indonesia Open that will kick off next week," said Wirjawan.
Despite failing to bring the trophies home, Wirjawan was satisfied with the performance of the Indonesian shuttlers.
"Although we didn't win the Thomas Cup, but I am very proud of our Thomas and Uber Cup teams. I strongly believe we have better chance in the future," added Wirjawan.
Ten Indonesian shuttlers, including Tommy Sugiarto in men’s singles, Linda Wenifanetri in women’s singles, Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan in men’s doubles, Greysia Polii/Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in women’s doubles, and two mixed doubles players, namely Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir and Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto have officially earned qualification berths for the August Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

Viktor Axelsen takes aim at Olympics after Thomas Cup victory

Denmark shuttlers will be looking forward to stamp down their authority in the Badminton events at the 2016 Summer Olympics after their historic Thomas Cup victory on Sunday.

Denmark's World No. 4 men's shuttler Viktor Axelsen has expressed strong interest that he wants his shot at Olympic glory.

"I am confident the Denmark players will prove themselves in the Olympics," said Axelsen.
"I believe I can go far in the Olympics because if you don’t believe in yourself then it won’t happen," added Axelsen.
Axelsen’s Thomas Cup performance has attracted attention from China’s Chief Badminton coach, Li Yongbo. Li has named Axelsen and his team-mate Jan O Jorgensen as major threats to China’s men's singles players at the Olympics this summer.
"Now, the competition in Rio is fierce because many players could win the Olympics," said Li.
"I guess I might have a good chance if Li Yongbo went out there to say something about me," said Axelsen in response to Li’s comment.
The current President of the Badminton World Federation and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic badminton champion Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen even predicted Axelsen could emerge into a badminton superstar in the near future.
"Axelsen has potential to be the World No. 1 player especially when Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei ease into retirement by gradually cutting back from their participation in tournaments after the Olympics."

Denmark stun Indonesia 3-2 to complete Thomas Cup fairy tale

Denmark's shuttlers had just made history on Sunday afternoon by beating 13-time Thomas Cup champions Indonesia in the 2016 Thomas Cup final. The homeland of Hans Christian Andersen, that famed writer of fairy tales, was living one of shuttlers’ great giant-slaying stories but for World No.13 Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, the moment of triumph brought him an unforgettable sensation

It's a big honor for me to play the last match in the final," said Vittinghus after he crushed World No.31 Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 21-15, 21-7 in 40 minutes to trigger celebrations in the Danish camp

I had dreamed about it since we came here last week. I appreciated that my teammates made me an opportunity to win this match. Bringing the Thomas Cup back to Denmark means a lot to us," added Vittinghus.After becoming 8-time runners-up in the world's most prestigious badminton team tournament since its inception in 1949, Denmark finally clinched their maiden Thomas Cup title by beating Indonesia 3-2 in the final to become the first European country to lift the prestigious Cup after a 67-year wait.

World No.4 Viktor Axelsen set Denmark on a roll with a 21-17, 21-18 victory in 54 minutes over World No.7 Tommy Sugiarto in the first men's singles match.

The 13-time champions Indonesia showed no mercy against Denmark when Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan smashed past Mads Conrad Petersen/Mads Pieler Kolding 21-18, 21-13 to draw level at 1-1.

In the third match of the afternoon, Jan Jorgensen, who was rested and was said to experience a hip problem, fended off a late comeback by Anthony Ginting in the first set to win 21-17. The Dane went on a rampage that saw him roared past Anthony 21-12 in second game to put up Denmark 2-1.

But the Indonesians weren't going to go down without a fight. Their 2015 Sea Games men's doubles gold medalists Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi rallied to beat Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-16, 21-14 as Indonesia came back to even the tie 2-2.
In the final match, Hans-Kristian Vittinghus beat Indonesian Ihsan Maulana Mustofa in straight-set 21-16, 21-7 taking the final score to 3-2 in Denmark's favor by sweeping all 3 singles matches in the final.
With this win, Denmark became only the fifth country after Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Japan to win the prestigious badminton team title.

China beat Korea 3-1 to win 14th Uber Cup crown

China's women's team was on a mission to retain the Uber Cup at home after their men's team suffered worst loss in China's Thomas Cup history when they were beaten by Korea in the men's quarter-finals.

In Saturday’s Uber Cup final, reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui bounced back from dropping a set against South Korean Sung Ji Hyun, taking 58 minutes to subdue the resilient Sung 14-21, 21-13, 21-10.

China stumbled in the first women's doubles match that followed, when Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan halted the Chinese advance temporarily with aggressive play to beat Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei 16-21, 21-17, 25-23 in a pulsating battle.

It was a well-deserved win for the Korean pair over World No. 4 Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei

However, China restored the advantage quickly when World No. 6 Wang Shixian started off looking confident to beat Kim Hyo-Min who was moved up to Korea's second women's singles position to replace Bae Yeon-Ju after Bae sustained an ankle injury on court Friday night.

Wang exhausted Kim Hyo-min by moving the shuttlecock across the court at will during the 21-13, 21-12 rout.

China’s second doubles pairing of Chen Qingchen/Tang Yuanting then dominated Chang Ye Na/Lee So Hee 21-14, 21-16 in 51 minutes for the winning point as their team-mates rushed over to celebrate their 14th Uber Cup title.

In Sunday's Thomas Cup final, Denmark men's team will be hoping to land the prestigious men's team title for the first time when they take on 13-times champions Indonesia.

China in unstoppable form to beat Spain 5-0 at Uber Cup

It's another easy 5-0 sweep for China in their third game at the Thomas and Uber Cup in Kunshan on Tuesday, this time against Spain

The Chinese women turned in an almost immaculate sheet, especially when World No. 6 Wang Shixian stormed past World No. 1 Carolina Marin in a marathon first women's singles match by beating the Spaniard 19-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a three-game tussle that lasted 87 minutes.

Following Marin's loss, the Chinese team went charging ahead after Sun Yu and World No. 4 Wang Yihan recorded straight set wins in the second and third women's singles match to lead their team to the 5-0 rout.
In the Uber Cup Group C tie, Thailand won against Indonesia 3-2, as the Thais narrowly survived a tough Uber Cup test after Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai managed to save two match points to beat Anggia Shitta Awanda/Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah 14-21 21-17 24-22 in 75 minutes to register the third point for Thailand.
Japan and India went on to sweep Germany and Australia in the Uber Cup Group D ties, and will face each other in their final group tie on Wednesday.

China beat Japan 5-0, Malaysia set to play Taiwan in Thomas Cup quarters

Badminton powerhouse China managed to exact their revenge in front of home crowd on Wednesday when they produced ruthless destructions to beat Japan 5-0 to top Group A in the Thomas Cup Finals.

Japanese team stunned China in the 2014 Thomas Cup semi-finals, and went on to win their first ever Thomas Cup after beating Malaysia in the final. However, with the absence of Kenichi Tago, and Kento Momota who were suspended in April over a gambling scandal, the Japanese team was struggling to put up a good fight against China on Wednesday.

After dropping a set, World No. 1 Chen Long fought back to scrap past Japan's Sho Sasaki 20-22, 21-17, 21-12 in 85 minutes.
"I had to really stay focused in order to beat Sho Sasaki," said Chen after the match.
"The real challenge starts in the knockout stage tomorrow," added Chen.
China's Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan had to endure a desperate run of forms by Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa before surviving scare to keep China ahead with 2-0, stormed past the Japanese pair 21-19, 25-27, 21-15 in 82 minutes.
China's badminton superstar Lin Dan then regained his form after struggling earlier this week to overcome Japan's Takuma Ueda with a 21-18, 21-8 win.
"I've made enough preparation for the match, and I will try to bring Thomas Cup back to China," said Lin Dan.
For the Group D Thomas Cup tie, Denmark's Viktor Axelsen breezed past Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen 21-16, 21-13 before Mads Conrad-Petersen paired with Mads Pieler Kolding to beat Lee Sheng Mu and Tsai Chia Hsin 22-20, 21-9 and give Denmark a 2-0 lead.
Taiwan's Hsu Jen Hao's then pulled off an upset over Jan O Jorgensen with 13-21, 21-16, 21-19 in a marathon match which lasted 79 minutes.
It was Mathias Boe and Mathias Christiansen who claimed the victory for Denmark after a hard-fought 21-17, 19-21, 21-17 win against Wang Chi-Lin and Chen Hung Ling.
"We all knew how important it was to win this match and top the group," said Christiansen. "It was about keeping our heads cool and we did that and managed to do well in the last few rallies."
China will play Korea, while Denmark will take on Japan, Malaysia will face Taiwan, and Indonesia will clash with Hong Kong in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Malaysia in Thomas Cup quarterfinals after beating Germany 5-0

Malaysia Thomas Cup team has marched into the quarter-finals of Thomas Cup Finals after Lee Chong Wei, Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong, and Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin delivered the first 3 points in the best of five format on Monday.
World No. 2 Lee Chong Wei battled through an unexpectedly tough first men's singles match when he needed 40 minutes to beat unheralded Kai Schaefer 21-19, 21-15 on day two in Kunshan, China.

Men’s doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong was able to give a stable performance when they put Malaysia ahead with 2-0 after trashing Richard Domke-Fabian Holzer 21-12, 21-11.

Although it was his Thomas Cup debut, Malaysia's national men's singles champion Iskandar Zulkarnain sealed the tie with a victory against Lars Schaenzler with a 21-7, 21-16 win in 32 minutes.
Former World No. 1 men's doubles pair Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong did not let Sunday's defeat to overshadow their second Thomas Cup match. The pair ruthlessly destroyed Mark Lamsfuss-Josche Zurwonne 21-15, 21-10 in just 31 minutes.
Chong Wei Feng, then played a wonderful match as the men's third singles when he outgunned David Peng 21-9, 21-18.
Malaysia will play their toughest Group C tie against South Korea on Tuesday to decide which team will be the champions and runners-up for the group.
Meanwhile, playing in the second Thomas Cup tie, the Koreans showed they are strong contender for the 2016 Thomas Cup title by knocking off England 5-0.

China records 5-0 win against France at Thomas Cup

Badminton powerhouse China has recorded a comprehensive 5-0 win over France in the group stage of the Thomas Cup finals, in Kunshan, Jiangsu-China on Monday

World number one Chen Long opened the score 1-0 to lift his team's sweep with a commanding 21-9, 21-12 win against Thomas Rouxel.

Fu Haifeng/Zhang Nan then saw off Ronan Labar/Gaetan Mittelheisser 21-16, 22-20 to secure a comfortable 2-0 lead for China.
However, badminton star Lin struggled to find his rhythm during his first match of the tournament, losing the first game to France's Lucas Corvee, before bouncing back to win the match 20-22, 21-14, 21-8.
China’s second men’s doubles pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen beat Bastian Kersaudy and Julien Mai for a 4-0 advantage before Tian Houwei concluded the tie by outlasting Lucas Corvee 21-17, 21-12.
In another Group A tie, after beating France with 5-0 on Sunday, defending champion Japan defeated Mexico 5-0 for its second successive victory in Thomas Cup badminton.
Both China and Japan will play each other on Wednesday to decide who tops the group.

Lee Chong Wei set fastest smash record at 408 km/h

Malaysia's badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei topped the list for most powerful smash in any international badminton tournament since last September, with 408 kilometers per hour at the 2015 Hong Kong Open, which he won at the Coliseum in Hung Hom

That data was clocked by Badminton World Federation (BWF) using the Hawk-Eye technology. Hawk-Eye was also being used to provide instant-review at some major tournaments.

The speed record data also indicated men's badminton player routinely smash over the speed of 390 km/h.
Jan Jorgensen of Denmark was in the second place in term of smashing speed, with 407 km/h in the semi-finals of the 2016 Malaysia Open.
Two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China also recorded a 401 km/h smash on his way to victory in the 2015 Japan Open.
The 2013 World Champion, Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand delivered the fastest smash, clocking at 372 km/h in the semi-finals of the 2016 Malaysia Open.
However, different measuring techniques produced the record differently. In August 2013, Malaysian badminton star Tan Boon Heong has unofficially broken his own world smash speed record, propelling the shuttle to 493 kilometers per hour in a special experiment conducted by a badminton equipment manufacturer.
The Guinness Book of World Records also showed a discrepancy in the smash record because it said a 332 km/h smash (206 mph) by Fu Haifeng of China in 2005 was the fastest smash ever recorded.

Here are the top five speeds released by the Hawk-Eye data:
Men’s Singles:
Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) 408kmh (Hong Kong Open 2015)
Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark) 407kmh (Malaysia Open 2016)
Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) 404kmh (Japan Open 2015)
Parupalli Kashyap (India) 401kmh (Japan Open 2015)
Lin Dan (China) 401kmh (Japan Open 2015)
Women’s Singles:
Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) 372kmh (Malaysia Open 2016)
Tai Tzu Ying (Taiwan) 360kmh (All England 2016)
Wang Yihan (China) 359kmh (Malaysia Open 2016)
Saina Nehwal (India) 357kmh (All England 2016)
Carolina Marin (Spain) 356kmh (All England 2016)

Indonesia eyeing Thomas Cup victory

Indonesia’s Thomas Cup team dreams big as it locks its target on bringing home the trophy again after its last victory in 2002 at the upcoming Thomas and Uber Finals team competition, starting this weekend.

The squad nonetheless received no intensified training regime on account of efforts to earn points for the Summer Olympics.

“Winning the Thomas Cup is our aim. I’m not putting pressure [on the team], but historically we’ve won it 13 times.
“Besides, in India [the men’s team] managed to tackle Japan,” Rexy Mainaky, sports development head for the Indonesian Badminton Association ( PBSI ), told a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
Rexy was referring to the 2016 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Hyderabad, India, in mid-February, during which Indonesia knocked out Japan 3-2 to win the event. The Indian victory boosted team morale ahead of the finals, which will run on May 15-22 in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.
Amid high expectations, Rexy said that the men’s shuttlers did not undergo special training as they had participated in a number of Super Series-grade tournaments in their pursuit of points for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in August.
Super Series tournaments taking place after Hyderabad were the All England, where Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto won the mixed doubles division; India Super Series ( Markus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the men’s doubles division ); Malaysia Open ( Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir won mixed doubles ); Singapore Open ( Sony Dwi Kuncoro nailed the men’s singles, Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari were awarded the women’s doubles title ); and, Badminton Asia Championships in China ( Tontowi and Liliyana finished as runners-up in mixed doubles ).
“[The shuttlers] are 100 percent ready [although they] didn’t have much time [for focused grooming] as they were busy with the tournaments,” said Rexy, adding that getting in a quick recovery was more important for the shuttlers in between events.
In the finals, Indonesia’s men’s team sits in Group B along with India, Hong Kong and Thailand. Indonesia is the top-seed in the group.
Meanwhile, the Uber team has been a given a realistic aim in the Kunshan showdown: reaching the quarterfinals.
“I’m not underestimating the Uber team. Facing Thailand is a tough task,” said Rexy.
The Indonesian women’s squad is in Group C along with the group’s top-seed Thailand, Hong Kong and Bulgaria.
“It will be good enough for us if we can be a runner-up in the group and advance to the quarterfinals,” said Rexy, manager of the Indonesian Thomas and Uber teams.
 Indonesia’s Uber team experienced peak play when it won the event in 1989. Since then, the team has only made it to runner-up position in 1991, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2005 and 2007.
The strongest Uber team is China with 10 victories between 1995 and 2015. Greysia will be paired with Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah as Nitya is injured.
“As a new pair, we surely will have flaws. But on the other hand, opponents are blind to our strength,” said team captain Greysia.
In the meantime, 10 Indonesian shuttlers have secured spots in the Summer Olympics. They are Tommy Sugiarto in men’s singles, Lindaweni Fanetri in women’s singles, Hendra Setiawan and Muhammad Ahsan in men’s doubles, Greysia and Nitya in women’s doubles, Tontowi and Liliyana as well as Praveen and Debby in mixed doubles.
-- Niken Prathivi, Jakarta Post

Lee Chong Wei confident Malaysia is ready for Thomas Cup success

Malaysian badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei has urged his Thomas Cup teammates to show their fighting spirit in the Thomas Cup finals that will be held in Kunshan, China from May 15 to 22.

Malaysia was runners-up in the 2014 edition after brushing aside Indonesia 3-0 in the semi-finals to make their first appearance in the finals after 12 years.

However, the Malaysian team were left licking their wounds after falling short in the final, losing to Japan 2-3 at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India.
"We should compete without pressure and play with nothing to lose. The Malaysian players should give their very best in Kunshan," said Lee.
While talking to reporters at a wedding ceremony, he admitted that countries such as China, Denmark, and South Korea would pose existential threats to Malaysia at the 2016 Thomas Cup.
"China has Chen Long, Lin Dan and Tian Houwei, while Viktor Axelsen, Jan Jorgensen and Hans-Kristian Vittinghus are three very good men's singles players in the world, therefore, we cannot underestimate them," added Lee.
"Furthermore, our top two men's doubles players, namely Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong and Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong are likely tired from a demanding Olympic qualifying schedule."
In the 2016 Malaysia Thomas Cup squad, World No. 52 Wei Feng was named at the expense of world No. 41 Zulfadli Zulkiffli to join Lee Chong Wei, Iskandar Zulkarnain and Goh Soon Huat in the singles department. Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong as well as Teo Ee Yi/Ong Yew Sin have been selected as doubles pairs in the Thomas Cup squad.
The last time Malaysia won the Thomas Cup was on May 16 1992, when the Malaysian team beat Indonesia 3-2 in a pulsating final.

Indonesia men's team in training camp to prepare for Thomas Cup

In their bid to prepare for the Thomas Finals that will be held in Kunshan, China from May 15 to May 22, 2016, the Indonesian team will put their focus on diversifying their strategies, and patterns of play.

After a training session with the Indonesian players in Jakarta, Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) men's singles head coach Hendri Saputra told reporters that they are enhancing mental toughness, and physical toughness of their shuttlers, while working on appropriate game strategies against different opponents at the tournament.

"Jonatan Christie, Ihsan Maulana and Anthony Ginting are diversifying their playing styles to target different challenges they could possible face on the court," said Saputra.
"If the shuttlecocks used in Kunshan are slower than of those used in training, they should switch to a long rally of play," added Saputra.
"We should be prepare and should never be caught off guard by our opponents in the group stage. But I'm still optimistic that our shuttlers are ready to step up to the plate especially after we came out triumphant at the Thomas Cup qualifying."
Indonesia has been grouped in Group B together with Hong Kong, India, and Thailand in the Group stage of Thomas Cup finals.
The Thomas Cup matches are made up of three singles and two doubles. The top two teams in each group will go into the knock-out stages.

Jakarta: World No. 8 Indonesian shuttler Tommy Sugiarto will get to play at the highest level of international badminton championships this August when he was listed as one of the 10 Indonesian badminton players who will take part in the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

"According to the latest World Badminton Federation (BWF) rankings, 10 of our badminton players have qualified for the Rio Olympic Games," said general chairman Gita Wirjawan.

In addition to Tommy Sugiarto who has earned his Olympic berth in men's single, Linda Wenifanetri also clinched a spot in the women’s singles event.
After his first gold medal win in the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Markis Kido, Hendra Setiawan who will be aiming for his second Olympic gold medal with Mohammad Ahsan in Rio. In mixed doubles, both Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir and Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto have qualified for the event.
Greysia Polii who became one of eight women doubles players that were disqualified for "tanking" at the 2012 London Olympics, made a successful comeback with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in Rio after the major career setback in London.
Indonesia has set a lofty target for the 2016 Olympics of winning golds in the men's doubles and mixed doubles. It is also possible for Indonesia to clinch golds in men's singles and women's doubles if the Indonesian shuttlers can achieve their extraordinary level of performance.

Japan to send nine badminton players to Rio Olympics

After Japanese World No. 1 women's doubles pair Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo defeated Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao 21-13, 21-15 in an all-Japan women’s badminton doubles final at the Asian Championships, Takahashi/Matsutomo have been named among the nine Japanese shuttlers who clinched their spots in all five disciplines at the Rio Olympics

Fukuman and Yonao, ranked ninth in the world, could have joined their top-ranked compatriots at this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics with a win if Japan instructed their players to play the "Li Yongbo style" badminton when Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo handed the Asian Championships title to Fukuman/Yonao via walkovers or retired from the match. Instead, both pairs fought hard with a lot of energy in the final, until Takahashi/Matsutomo finally emerged victorious in 53 minutes.
Heading Japan's men's singles list will be Sho Sasaki, replacing fourth-ranked Kento Momota who was removed from the rankings after he received an indefinite suspension last month for gambling at an illegal casinos in Japan.
Sasaki will be the only Japanese shuttler to take part in two successive Summer Games this time. Seventh-ranked pair Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa clinched the berth in the men’s doubles.
World No. 5 Nozomi Okuhara, and World No. 11 18-year-old Akane Yamaguchi have filled up the 2 slots in women's singles.
Kenta Kazuno and Ayane Kurihara also confirmed their qualification after they were ranked World No. 18 in the latest world rankings.

USA to send a record seven badminton players to Rio Olympics

USA: A record of seven shuttlers from USA have made it to the Rio Olympics based on Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) final allocation in all five disciplines

In men's singles, World No. 64 Howard Shu, who is at 32nd place in race to Rio qualification, will carry the USA flag, while Phillip Chew and Jamie Subandhi become the first USA mixed doubles pair to qualify for the Olympics.

Eva Lee, who had represented USA at the London Games, will play her second Olympics in women's doubles competition with Paula Lynn Obanana, they are 16th in the race to Rio qualification.
In the women’s singles, Iris Wang will be making her Olympic debut in Rio while Sattawat Pongnairat and Phillip Chew will compete in the men's doubles event.
No USA player has never made it past quarterfinals in the badminton event at any Olympics.

ivan sozonov injured

China fill maximum slots for the 2016 Olympic

After winning two out of five gold medals offered at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) on Sunday, China has enough or in some categories, more than enough shuttlers to secure the maximum Olympic quota slots allocated for each country

Unlike the previous Olympics, in the 2016 Rio Games, each nation could only enter a maximum of two players in the men's and women's singles events, if both players are ranked in the world's top 16. Otherwise, those positions would be filled until the roster of thirty-eight players has been completed.

In the doubles category, each country could only enter a maximum of two pairs if both are ranked in the top eight, while the remaining countries are entitled to one until the quota of 16 highest-ranked pairs is filled.
Technically, China has 4 players that could qualify for the men's singles event in Rio, with Chen Long being the World No. 1, followed by Lin Dan at World No. 3, Tian Houwei and Wang Zhengming at World No. 6 and World No. 13 respectively. However, it's obvious that only Chen Long and Lin Dan would be selected to play in Rio.
Nevertheless, it's going to be a tough call for women's singles, with up to 5 shuttlers ranked in the World top 16. As rumors swirl, World No. 5 Wang Shixian could be dropped from the Chinese Olympic team yet again in favor of World No. 6 Wang Yihan who just won the BAC title on Sunday.
Chinese Chief coach Li Yongbo had replaced Wang Shixian once with young shuttler Li Xuerui in the 2012 London Olympic squad, and he may do it again after his decision proved correct when Li won the London Olympics gold medal.
"I have yet to decide who would go to Rio, I am going to take their world rankings, their ability to play against foreign players, and their performances in the last several tournaments into my consideration," said Li Yongbo.
It's much easier to decide outright who would go to Rio in men's doubles because the current World No. 4 Fu Haifeng/Zhang Nan and World No. 5 pair Chai Biao/Hong Wei are the only options for China.
Former World No. 1 and current World No. 7 pair Luo Ying/Luo Yu sisters may be dropped from the Chinese Olympic team as World No. 3 Tang Yuanting/Yu Yang and World No. 4 Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei are viewed as the pairs are most likely to win the women’s doubles gold medals at the Rio Olympics.
China also has some difficult roster decisions to make in the mixed doubles before Olympic, when it has to pick two out of three pairs between World No. 1 Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei, World No. 4 Xu Chen/Ma Jin, and World No. 6 Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin.
"We have succeeded to get the maximum berth in each categories for the Rio Olympics, and I really appreciate our players' hard works," said Li.
Although China is the only country in the world to successfully fill the maximum positions allocated to each country, Chinese players are overall weaker than they were four years ago at the London Olympics, and gold medals in every categories are up for grabs.

Kento Momota, Kenichi Tago officially removed from BWF rankings

Although Japanese young badminton star Kento Momota who has been denied a spot on Japan’s team for this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics after receiving an indefinite suspension from the Nippon Badminton Association on April 10, 2016 for his visit to an illegal casino, but he hadn’t officially been removed from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Ranking, until this Thursday.

Both Kento Momota and Kenichi Tago, 26, have admitted to gambling at casinos in Japan, and were officially removed from the latest BWF standings released by BWF as of April 28th.

The removal followed confirmation by the Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) that both players have been suspended for more than a year. NBA had also clarified that instead of suspending both players "indefinitely", the suspension will probably "exceed a year".
According to what BWF Council agreed two years ago, players who were suspended for more than a year would be removed from all rankings.
Besides Momota and Tago, BWF also removed an USA shuttler Zhang Beiwen and Australian player Setyana Mapasa from its Olympic Qualification Rankings for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, due to their ineligibility to represent their respective adopted countries.
Zhang Beiwen was born in China but moved to Singapore at the age of 13 in the year 2003. She played with the Singapore National Team until 2012. In 2013, she moved to the USA with her parents.
As for Setyana Mapasa, she went to Australia to seek medical treatment for her knee injury in 2012. Since then, she has since been partnering with Gronya Somerville to become one of the top women's doubles pair in Australia.
Fortunately, these two players still get to maintain their positions on the BWF World Rankings.
In the absence of Kento Momota, the next highest ranked Japanese player - Sho Sasaki was selected to replace Momota in Rio.

Lee Chong Wei beats Chen Long to win BAC title

Malaysian badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei celebrated his fourth consecutive victories against World No. 1 Chen Long of China by beating the Chinese shuttler in the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) final to regain his second BAC title in Wuhan, China on Sunday.
In the enthralling first set, Lee who won the BAC title in 2006, put on a furious fightback after trailing 11-15 to overtake Chen Long and wrapped up the set 21-17.

Chen Long started the second set more aggressively, and was able to summon every ounce of strength and determination to deny Lee 15-21 and to force a decider.

Having lost the second set to Chen Long, Lee hit back with lightning-fast pace and attacked his opponent with deadly pinpoint accuracy. After the interval, Lee took advantage of an impatience Chen Long who has committed several unforced errors, racing to close out the 82 minutes match with a 21-13 win in the rubber set.

Lee took home USD15,000 (about RM58,702) as the men's champion

In the women's singles, China's Wang Yihan prevailed over top seed and compatriot Li Xuerui 21-14, 13-21, 21-16 in an hour, clinching her third Asian title. This victory was also very critical for the 28-year-old Wang Yihan, as this tournament could give her an advantage over compatriot Wang Shixian when deciding who could represent China in the Rio Olympics.

Meanwhile, South Korean top seeded pair of Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong got the better of China's Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen 21-14, 28-26 in 58 minutes to win the men's doubles title

Japan's Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi crushed compatriots Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao 21-13, 21-15 in the women's doubles final in 53 minutes.

The mixed doubles title went to the top seeded Chinese combination of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei, who saw off Indonesian second seeds Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir 16-21, 21-9, 21-17 in an hour and one minute.
Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) offers a total prize money of USD200,000 (about RM782,700).